title: Neonatal exposure to citalopram, a serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor, programs a delay in the reflex ontogeny in rats.
abstract: Serotonin influences the growth and development of the nervous system, as well as its behavioral manifestations. The possibility exists that increased brain serotonin availability in young animals modulates their neuro-behavioral responses. This study investigated the body weight gain and reflex ontogeny of neonatal rats treated during the suckling period with two doses of citalopram (5 mg, or 10 mg/kg, s.c., daily). The time of the appearance of reflexes (palm grasp righting, free-fall righting, vibrissa placing, auditory startle response, negative geotaxis and cliff avoidance) as well as the body weight evolution were recorded. In general, a delay in the time of reflex development and a reduced weight gain were observed in drug-treated animals. These findings suggest that serotoninergic mechanisms play a role in modulating body weight gain and the maturation of most reflex responses during the perinatal period in rats.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências da Nutrição, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Teresa Cristina Bomfim de Jesus
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Deiró
authors.forename: Judelita
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Elizabethdo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: Jaiza Maria Barreto
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Medeiros
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cajuhi
authors.forename: Kelli Nogueira
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Ferraz-Pereira
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manhães-de-Castro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D015283:Citalopram / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012018:Reflex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D015283:Citalopram; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors